Aim of the study was to estimate the incidence of coronary heart disease (CAD) in patients (pts) with end stage renal disease (ESRD) maintained on chronic hemodialysis (HD) and its association with the presence of predisposing factors. The study included 171 dialysis pts (107 male (M) and 64 female (F)). Mean age of pts was 67+/-13 years, mean time on dialysis 52.7+/-44 months and Body Mass Index (BMI) 25.9+/-3.7 kg/m2. Fifty pts (29.2%) were clinically diagnosed with CAD. The diagnosis was established by coronary angiography in 24 (48%) and in 26 by combined dipyridamole-exercise thallium imaging (52%). Pts' data in association with the development of CAD that were recorded included age, sex, smoking habits, hypertension, obesity, the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia, anemia, low albumin levels, secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHP), the presence of chronic inflammation, as evidenced by the presence of elevated levels of CRP and hyperhomocysteinemia. There was a statistically significant association of increasing age and CAD (p<0.0001). Relative risk (RR) was significantly increased i) in male pts compared to female pts (RR: 8.56, p<0.001), ii) in anemic pts compared to pts with hemoglobin levels< or =11 g/dL (RR: 8.26, p<0.0001), iii) in obese pts compared to pts with BMI < or =30 (RR: 5.09, p<0.005) and iv) in pts with increased levels of homocysteine compared to pts with levels of homocysteine <15 |IM (RR: 4.14, p<0.0001). Using linear regression analysis, CAD was associated with the inadequacy of HD (r = - 0.05, p<0.0001), time on HD (r =0.04, p =0.012) and increasing age (r =0.24, p<0.001). There was no statistically significant association between CAD and the presence of the other traditional risk factors. The incidence of CAD in dialysis pts is significantly increased with age, male sex, obesity, time on dialysis, the presence of anemia, hyperhomocysteinemia and inadequacy of HD.